MetaStat, Inc. presented the positive results of a clinical study demonstrating the MenaCalc Lung score is an independent prognostic factor and predictive for distant metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Philadelphia. The MenaCalc Lung test is a quantitative immunofluorescence diagnostic that measures the relative expression of different isoforms of the key pro-metastatic factor Mena, which quantifies the likelihood of the development of distant metastatic disease. The study evaluated 201 patients with non-small cell lung cancer and demonstrated MenaCalc Lung™ scores were significantly (p=0.001) higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (N=32) as compared to other subtypes.

High MenaCalc Lung™ scores were associated (10% significance level) with decreased five-year disease specific survival in all patients [HR=1.78 (95% CI: 0.92-3.43); P=0.08], and were significantly associated with survival in the squamous-only population [HR = 6.60 (95% CI: 1.22-53.75); P=0.04]. The study also demonstrated a two-fold increase (P=0.09) in MenaCalc scores in patients with metastatic disease (N=9). Furthermore, the MenaCalc score was independent of the classical clinicopathologic features such as stage, sex or age for predicting outcome.